PENNINGTON — Imagine what it would be like if a couple of local sixth-graders found themselves transported to the year 1776 and had to help George Washington to victory in the Battle of Trenton. This is the premise of "The Left Behinds: The iPhone that Saved George Washington," a children's novel by Pennington-resident David Potter.

"I always wondered what it would be like living in another century," Potter said, reminiscing about frequently encountering historic sites growing up in Morristown and then moving to Pennington.

The book, which was published by Penguin Random House last month, was inspired by one of Potter's yearly trips the day after Christmas to see the re-enactment of Washington crossing the Deleware at Washington Crossing State Park. Despite the costumes and the acting, a sense of modernness remained at the event, as children constantly toiled with their electronic gadgets.

"Somewhere along the line, it occured to me: what would it be like if these kids running around with iPhones found themselves in 1776?" Potter said. It was then that he began working on the novel, which is geared to children between grades 4 and 6.

Pennington resident and author David PotterAllan Shoemake

"The Left Behinds" can be found at major book sellers nationwide, but Mercer County kids might have the strongest connection to the story, as it takes place in their own backyard.

"In the story, the kids are there all along the march," Potter said, referring to Washington's journey from Titusville to Trenton.

Potter, who works as the VP of sales for Unicorn HRO, is gaining some local acclaim for his publication, especially in the Hopewell Valley School District, where he donated some copies of his book and was asked to speak later on in the school year.

While the history-packed book only focuses on the tech-savvy children's help during the Revolutionary War, Potter said that he has two more novels in the making. One which will be published early 2016, and takes place during the Civil War, and another, will be published a year after that.